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VOL. 10, ISSUE 2 (2025)
Butterflies (Lepidoptera) of district Lucknow: Species diversity and seasonal dynamics
Authors
Babita Sharma, Sushmita Prakash, Ashok Kumar
Abstract
This study comprehensively examines the diversity and seasonal variation
of butterfly populations across five families—Pieridae, Nymphalidae,
Lycaenidae, Hesperiidae, and Papilionidae in the district Lucknow from 2022 to
2024. A total of 39,151 individual butterflies representing 90 species were
recorded. The Nymphalidae family exhibited the highest abundance (12,648
individuals), followed by Lycaenidae (12,399), Pieridae (8,077), Hesperiidae
(3,603), and Papilionidae (2,424). In this research, we examined the seasonal
diversity patterns of butterfly populations, constantly observing the highest
butterfly diversity during rainy seasons, with peak diversity values documented
in the years 2023–2024. The Lycaenidae family showed the highest overall
diversity throughout all seasons, peaking at 3.087 in the 2023–2024 and in 3.069
in the year 2022-2023 in rainy season, while the Papilionidae family repeatedly
exhibited the lowest diversity in both years. The family Pieridae exhibited
relatively stable species richness patterns throughout the study period,
compared to all other families, while Nymphalidae and Lycaenidae showed
increased richness in the winter seasons 3.855 and 4.008 respectively. In
contrast, the Hesperiidae and Papilionidae families showed a stability in
richness through all seasons. This research examined the crucial impact of
seasonal variations on the diversity and species richness of butterfly
populations, emphasizing the adaptive responses of different families to
climatic and environmental variations. This study focuses on the significance
of seasonal monitoring to understand the butterfly ecology and supporting
conservation initiatives.
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Pages:112-117
How to cite this article:
Babita Sharma, Sushmita Prakash, Ashok Kumar "Butterflies (Lepidoptera) of district Lucknow: Species diversity and seasonal dynamics". International Journal of Entomology Research, Vol 10, Issue 2, 2025, Pages 112-117
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